-General-
"Ugh..."
A searing pain coursed through every fiber of Aldril's body. He felt his own bones creak in protest when he tried to get up. The calm he had enjoyed moments ago was left behind; now, back in harsh reality, he had to face the consequences of having been in the middle of the collision of two legendary objects.
"Anyway..." he murmured to himself. He laughed slightly at the irony of his carelessness, but the pain was such that he grimaced, ceasing his soft laughter.
His joints ground, and every nerve desperately begged him to stay lying on the ground. He decided to listen to them. He inhaled and exhaled slowly, forcing his muscles to relax.
It was not long before the Star of Eärendil reacted. Its magic began to heal him, sweeping away the damage like a breeze of fresh air caressing the skin in the height of summer. The soft gleam kissed his body, and the sharp pain retreated little by little, until it diluted and became a distant ache.
After a deep yawn, and feeling the burning in his muscles finally subside, Aldril stood up. He began to stretch his body slowly; the dry sound of his bones realigning drew a sigh of pure satisfaction from him. He cracked the vertebrae in his neck, feeling the tension leave the nape of his neck.
Glancing around, the magnitude of his flight left him astonished. It was no wonder his body had screamed in agony moments ago; the shockwave had thrown him far beyond the river that marks the boundary of Hobbiton.
A deep furrow tore through the dirt, as if a worm had burrowed through the earth. To his relief, his trajectory had not crossed paths with the hole of any local inhabitant. He did not want to imagine the disaster if his weight and speed had collided with the fragile body of a Halfling.
While Aldril brushed the damp earth clinging to his clothes, his sharp hearing caught the sound of hurried footsteps approaching.
A few seconds later, his beloved Tauriel appeared. Panic was etched on her features, but upon seeing her beloved standing and offering her a smile—seemingly intact—she let out a sigh of relief. Without hesitation, she closed the distance between them and began to urgently feel his body, searching for any wound, as she asked with a trembling voice:
"Are you alright? Are you sure nothing hurts, darling?"
Aldril smiled at her with overflowing love. He gently caught his wife's trembling hands in his own, managing to calm her with that simple touch.
"I am fine, my love. You mustn't get too upset; we don't want to cause any trouble for the baby," he whispered. He wrapped her in a warm embrace, delicately caressing her swollen belly, a gesture that made the Elf-woman melt against his chest.
"I worry because I love you... I cannot bear to imagine something bad happening to you. I don't know what I would do without you," Tauriel confessed, a shining trace of tears appearing at the corners of her eyes.
The hormonal whirlwind of pregnancy had her on edge, and the shock of seeing her husband sent flying through the air had broken her, if only for an instant. Fortunately, that sudden anguish did not affect the child growing inside her at all; the little one, despite not being fully formed, already possessed an enviable physical resilience, forged by the combined blood of his parents.
They both remained embraced in silence. The night wind gently swayed their clothes, and a restorative stillness settled over the meadow, almost as if the entire world held its breath so as not to ruin the couple's intimacy.
However, the bubble did not take long to burst. The sound of hurried footsteps—heavier and clumsier—echoed in the distance. It was a pair of Dwarves running full of anguish, followed closely by Bilbo and Helga. (Luckily, Aldril's children had remained safely in Bag End under Frodo's care).
Upon discovering the couple acting so lovey-dovey and in one piece, the group let out a collective sigh of relief. But Fíli and Kíli, true to their nature, did not hesitate to step forward to destroy the romantic moment.
"Damn it, Aldril. You made us worry for nothing," complained Fíli, sweeping his friend with his gaze from head to toe to confirm he was still whole.
"Yeah, you lucky bastard. My heart almost leapt out of my mouth from the scare, and here you are, hugging your wife as if nothing happened," Kíli added. He crossed his arms and tried to glare at him with rage, although to Aldril's sharp senses, the worry and affection those two felt for him were transparent.
"I am a simple man; I would never refuse the love of my dear Tauriel," he said, drawing Tauriel to his chest to wrap her in another hug. "Besides, it wasn't that big a deal. By now you should know how resilient I am. Have you already forgotten how I went flying because of that beast at the doors of Moria?"
"Uh..."
Fíli and Kíli were left speechless. They exchanged a look. How the hell had they forgotten that detail? They were literally present when Aldril was thrown through the air after the explosion of that creature; the bastard had not only survived a lethal fall into the dark abyss of Moria, but had even walked right back, bringing that glowing gem with him as if it were a mere trophy.
"Darling, do not tease them. They are just worried about you," Tauriel whispered to him, letting out a soft laugh at the completely bewildered faces of the two brothers.
"Ahem... I wouldn't worry about an idiot like Aldril, Tauriel," sputtered Kíli, trying to make excuses. He sought to mask the worry he had felt moments ago; had it not been for the Half-elf's arrogant reminder, he would still be biting his nails from nerves, no matter how much he tried to hide it.
Fíli, on the other hand, let out a sigh and shook his head. He had just realized that, amidst all the commotion, they were overlooking the real problem of the night. He cleared his throat with a loud cough to get everyone's attention and fixed his gaze directly on Aldril.
"Alright, let's put aside your absurd physical resilience," he said. "Why did you go flying through the air when you tried to pick up Bilbo's magic ring? Is it because you already possess a ring and are not allowed to wear two?"
At these words, Aldril closed his eyes. When he opened them a second later, any trace of mockery or amusement had vanished from his face. His pupils had sharpened, becoming thin and draconic. With utmost seriousness, he fixed his gaze on his wife.
"My dear... we need to pack immediately and take Bilbo and Frodo with us to Rivendell."
Tauriel simply nodded, without questioning the reason for the sudden order. She had known Aldril for far too many years and knew perfectly well that when that lethal look surfaced in his eyes, it meant something major was about to happen.
"As for you two," the Half-elf continued, turning toward the Dwarves, "gather your things as quickly as you can, ride back to Moria, and prepare yourselves."
"Wait, wait a minute... exactly what should we prepare for?" asked Fíli, frowning, genuinely confused by the abrupt change in attitude.
"Because war is coming."
**
More chapters in "[email protected]/Mrnevercry"